All The Facts And Rumors On How 2026 Will Look For The Royal Family

Change may be on the horizon for the British royal family in 2026. King Charles III has already proved his willingness to shake up tradition and hold certain members of the royal family accountable for their unacceptable dealings with convicted sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. At the end of 2025, Charles formally stripped his brother, then-Prince Andrew, of his royal titles — making him henceforth known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, was also demoted from the Duchess of York after generating years of royal scandals that will always haunt the monarchy. Moving into the New Year, it is expected that Charles will make more changes — and there are serious rumors swirling about his next steps.

Interestingly, though, Charles is not the only one in the royal family who must prepare for the future. As Prince William and Princess Catherine look forward to their eventual coronation, the couple will have to make some intense decisions about their respective images. They will also have to prepare their kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis for their own futures within the firm. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, will be faced with choices surrounding their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and whether they will have a relationship with the rest of the royal family. Ultimately, 2026 is poised to be a big year for royal decisions, and the stage is set for scandal.

After a difficult year, Prince William and Princess Catherine will likely want to spend 2026 focusing on the future. On an immediate level, this will mean settling into their new home at Forest Lodge and supporting Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis as they continue their schoolwork. It will also entail — more broadly — an ongoing preparation for their eventual roles as King and Queen of England. As royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, told the Mirror in a 2025 interview, "The prospect of becoming King and Queen in the foreseeable future must always be with them. And it must be rather daunting."

As huge as William and Catherine's future in the monarchy may be, Bond says that the best way they can prepare is by focusing on their current roles. In the same conversation with the Mirror, the royal expert added, "They both have causes and campaigns that they care about deeply and that still require their help. And I think those causes — many to do with social issues like homelessness, mental health, and education — will help keep the monarchy relevant." Although William and Catherine are expected to focus on their duties, there's a good chance that they will be a little irreverent toward King Charles III. "William and Catherine will, of course, hope for the King's approval. But they are very much their own people," Bond shared.

Prince William may be preparing for a future as King of England, but his father, King Charles III, is the one who will most likely spend 2026 sitting on the throne. Rumor has it that Charles will want to remind people that William does not yet wear the crown — contrary to reports claiming that the prince is secretly calling the shots behind the scenes. These rumors have apparently been frustrating for Charles, who is believed to be very proud of his decisions as king. "Some outlets say William is running things from the shadows, others say the king is still very much in charge. I suspect the latter is closer to the truth — after all, Charles waited a very long time to be the king," royal expert, Kristen Meinzer, told Us Weekly in late 2025.

Part of the confusion surrounding William and Charles' respective roles could stem from the palace's efforts to prop up the prince's work. Speaking to Us Weekly in the same report, an anonymous source noted, "William is becoming more serious, and we're all starting to see what kind of monarch he will be. The palace is consciously elevating and presenting him in an authoritative manner, anticipating what's to come." Ultimately, Charles will have to encourage his team to strike a balance between applauding William's work versus the king's own accomplishments. After all, per the same anonymous source, "No power has been relinquished to William."

King Charles III is not the only one who may be upset about how much Prince William and Princess Catherine have been glittering in the limelight. Rumor has it that Queen Camilla has grown increasingly concerned with the amount of media attention attracted by Catherine in 2025 — and, apparently, the queen wants to take back the spotlight. As Princess Catherine has given fashion cues to celebs around the globe, Camilla may be planning a wardrobe transformation. One piece in Geo News even claimed that the queen is busy putting together new outfits for 2026. The reason? Per the report: "Camilla is quite peeved about the fact that Kate has been stealing all the glory during these major diplomatic events, even though she isn't even queen yet."

Chatting with Geo News in the same report, psychic Inbaal Honigman predicted that Camilla will wear some of her best outfits yet. "During a state dinner in 2026, held in honor of international peace agreements, the queen's attire will generate headlines. Her sense of style may appear a little youthful or experimental, but it will carry subtle messages of goodwill," Honigman said. Any potential fashion transformation, however, could pose a challenge for Camilla. The most outdated outfits Queen Camilla has ever worn are decades out of style, and revamping the queen's wardrobe may take some hard work. That being said, Camilla could very well be poised for the spotlight moving forward.

While the rest of the royal family irons out their issues, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, might be plotting a royal comeback in 2026. The couple has hinted that their future lies in the United Kingdom. Following a chat with Harry at the September 2025 WellChild awards, singer Joss Stone told Hello! that the prince could be planning a great British return. "Maybe Harry will move back too. That would be nice. He was saying how wonderful the schools are here and how important community is for children," she relayed. Later, a report in RadarOnline indicated that Harry was worried about Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's educational prospects in the United States.

If Harry and Meghan really are planning to move back to London, royal watchers can expect to see them shift their behavior in 2026. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will likely stop airing their royal grievances and start falling into line. Former royal photographer, Ian Pelham Turner, told the Express that he expects to see the couple treading carefully. "Anything that Harry says right now, it, what's going on in the back of his head is he doesn't want to mess up any opportunity to come back with Meghan and the children," he shared. This also apparently holds true for Meghan because "The plan would be for the entire Sussex family to return to the U.K. and be welcomed back into the fold."

In November 2025, King Charles III had a private meeting with Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain. The get-together left royal watchers wondering what the two monarchs took time to discuss — and whether ex-Prince Andrew's future was on the negotiating table. The mysterious meeting took place shortly after Andrew lost his princely titles due to his association with sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. As Jo Elvin of the Daily Mail Royals podcast pointed out, the kings got together less than two weeks after Andrew's public fall. "Some conspiracy theorists have suggested that this meeting may have been used to discuss Andrew's future — potentially in Bahrain — where he's previously expressed interest in relocating," Elvin shared.

Although well-placed sources within the palace deny that there was any agenda fueling the conversation between Charles and his fellow king, royal experts aren't so sure. Speaking on the same podcast, commentator, Rebecca English, noted, "The one thing I do know is that monarchs don't tend to get helicopters in the middle of a busy working day and go and see a friend ... So, I find it really quite intriguing that [Charles] took a helicopter flight to spend an hour in the Cotswolds with the King of Bahrain." Bahrain famously lacks an extradition treaty with the United States — meaning that Andrew could potentially go there to flee a criminal investigation into his dealings with Epstein.

In the wake of ex-Prince Andrew's royal scandals, a series of leaked emails indicated that his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, also had a close friendship with sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. Not only did she borrow large sums of money from Epstein, but Ferguson also referred to him as her "steadfast, generous and supreme friend," according to the Daily Mail. The ensuing scandal led Ferguson to lose her Duchess of York title and resume her former position as a commoner. She was also booted from a number of charities that no longer wanted to associate with her. Royal watchers have speculated that there's no way that the former duchess can fix her reputation, but rumor has it that Fergie has a plan.

Speaking to Closer, an insider claimed that Ferguson might undergo plastic surgery to help revamp her image. "Sarah's essentially been exiled from London society, or at least that's how she feels, so now she's saying she can use the time out to quietly get a head-to-toe make-over from the plastic surgeon," the source dished. The hope is that a new look will help Ferguson to pursue a fresh start in 2026. "Her self-esteem has taken such a huge hit ... She's convinced that if she disappears for six months and comes back looking like a million bucks, people will be more apt to forgive and forget when it comes to this mess with Epstein," they added. 

After ex-Prince Andrew and the former Duchess of York lost their royal status, all eyes migrated to the couple's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Royal watchers have been wondering what will happen to Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice now that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has lost his title. In the midst of this uncertainty, the sisters are expected to spend 2026 cozying up to the British royal family. The reason? They will want to maintain their royal status.

This goal was made clear during the royal family's 2025 Christmas celebration at Sandringham. Despite whispers that Beatrice and Eugenie would not attend the grand holiday gathering out of loyalty to their disgraced parents, the two made an appearance — choosing to side with the monarchy over their immediate family. As royal expert, Andrew Lownie, told Cosmopolitan UK, "Beatrice and Eugenie's business careers have predicated on their remaining princesses and remaining in the royal fold. So we will see them want to maintain that."

As the New Year unfolds, Beatrice and Eugenie will likely do their best to vie for bigger roles within the monarchy. That being said, their ability to blend into royal life will depend on whether the British people are ready to accept them. Lownie told USA Today that King Charles III will give "them the odd job to see what public opinion is like if they are given royal duties." Their royal futures, though, are far from guaranteed.

It seems that 2026 will be a big year for royal children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Prince William and Princess Catherine's three kids are poised to learn more about their royal roles. Some reports even indicate that they may travel abroad. According to one piece in The Sun, there's a good chance that George, Charlotte, and Louis will be heading to the United States for the 2026 World Cup soccer tournament. "William hopes to be there with wife Kate and their three children — with son George, 12, already a big Three Lions fan," the report claimed. Apparently, the family has already been in contact with American security teams to ensure that their travels will go smoothly. A source even told the outlet, "Wills is planning to come to the U.S. and we have been told to prepare for what a trip would entail."

Interestingly, though, there's another royal who is hoping to attend the tournament. Word on the street is that Prince Harry would also like to watch the English soccer team in action — making way for a chance at a royal reunion. This could be especially significant for George, Charlotte, and Louis — who are believed to have almost no relationship with their U.S.-based cousins, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. If the five little royals attend the game together, we could see tensions between the Waleses and Sussexes tone down.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have gone on the record saying that they value the privacy of their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. After growing up in the spotlight, Harry is believed to be wary of the media and its impact on one's safety. As one of the prince's friends told Hello!, "He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm. As a dad and husband, Harry is determined to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself."

Just because Harry and Meghan have historically shielded their kids from the limelight does not mean that they will continue doing so in the future. Leading up to 2026, the couple began to change their tune. In December 2025, Meghan shared pictures of Archie and Lilibet on Instagram. While the children's faces were partially masked by large heart emojis, pieces of their countenances were still visible to the duchess's followers.

Harry and Meghan also updated their Sussex family website to reflect its brand shift to Archwell Philanthropies. Interestingly, the update included references to Lilibet and Archie's future roles within the organization — hinting toward the work they might do in 2026. "This charitable entity allows the couple and their children to expand upon their global philanthropic endeavors as a family," explained a statement on the Sussexes's page. 

Lady Louise Windsor has long been applauded as one of the monarchy's most dependable royals. At the beginning of 2025, she drew attention for her interest in continuing the royal family's strong military tradition. As royal expert, Jennie Bond, explained, according to Woman&Home, "Lady Louise seems to have been keen on the military from an early stage in her undergraduate studies and the pictures show that she has thrown herself into the training exercises ... She is said to have loved every minute of her time as an officer cadet and is keen to turn it into a full-time career."

Louise's interest in quietly supporting the royal family could certainly lead to a bigger royal role in 2026. Dubbed the monarchy's "secret weapon" by some publications, Louise is known for prioritizing royal duty over royal perks. Speaking to Woman&Home for the aforementioned report, royal expert, Christopher Wilson, said that these qualities could make Louise a "dark horse contender" to represent the royal family moving forward. In Wilson's words, the young aristocrat is a "decorative and useful asset to the royal team." 

As noted by Phil Dampier in a conversation with The Telegraph, the royal family will need more working royals in the future. "You have to ask yourself who is going to continue their legacy with Harry and Meghan and Prince Andrew off the scene? There's a huge workload there," he shared. 2026 will certainly be an interesting time ahead.